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Human Rights Day Blog: A Bill of Rights. A good or bad idea?

John Wadham (HRIC speaker)

John Wadham, Solicitor and independent human rights consultant and Associate at Doughty Street Chambers

Press release issued: 10 December 2015

A blog from visiting fellow John Wadham, following an event hosted by the Law School's Human Rights Implementation Centre, discusses government's plans to repeal the Human Rights Act.

On the eve of the UN's Human Rights Day, visiting fellow John Wadham gave a presentation to 80 staff and students at the University of Bristol posing the question;"A Bill of Rights for the UK: A good or bad thing?" 

During his talk John outlined what the government is proposing and discussed whether or not it will enhance or degrade the rights we have in the UK.

The debate closed with some thoughts on whether the proposal would be a vehicle for reducing rights and how the introduction of a ‘British’ bill of rights could be perceived.

The event was chaired by The Director of the Human Rights Implementation Centre (HRIC) Professor Rachel Murray.  

John's thoughts are captured in his blog

Further information

John is an independent consultant and a solicitor.  Recent projects include: Human Rights Implementation Project; University of Bristol (amicus applications in the African Court and Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights) and as a Council of Europe expert in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, and Ukraine. 

Previously he was: Executive Director of INTERIGHTS (International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights); General Counsel for Equality and Human RightsCommission and; Director of Liberty.  He is the co-author of the Blackstone’s Guide to the Human Rights Act, the Blackstone’s Guide to the FOIA, and the Blackstone’s Guide to the Equality Act.

The Human Right's Implementation Centrebased in the Law School, provides an international focus for developing expertise, advice and scholarship on the role of institutions, whether those are at the national, regional or international levels, in the implementation of human rights.

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